As 2018 wanes, gas prices continue to hit 12-month lows, to the delight of Garden State motorists.

The statewide average for a gallon of regular in New Jersey dropped 21 cents in the past month and three cents in the past week to $2.446 on Sunday, according to AAA statistics. Motorists in Elmwood Park were taking full advantage, queuing up at the Gulf and Delta stations on River Drive for the second-lowest price per gallon in the state, $2.15, according to GasBuddy.com.

“It’s way cheaper than the ones in New York,” said Angel Figueroa, of the Bronx. “I come down here to get gas because my daughter lives in the area. In New York, it’s $2.79, $2.80. So you can see the difference.”

Prices nationally hit about $2.90 per gallon for regular fuel in October before falling to $2.378 on Sunday. The fall comes amid overall economic instability and after 10 consecutive weeks of increased petroleum production, AAA said.

“Motorists are noticing a big difference as they fill up at the pump this month,” said Jeanette Casselano, a spokeswoman for AAA. “Month over month, gas price averages have dropped double digits for every state. For some in the Great Lakes and central states, state gas prices are as much as 40 cents less than they were in November.”

Cars back a Delta station on River Drive in Elmwood Park to take advantage of the low gas price on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018.(Photo11: David M. Zimmer/NorthJersey.com)

Drive a few feet; save a few cents

In some parts of North Jersey, 40-cent differences were less than a mile apart Sunday.

Prices in Clifton ranged from $2.27 at the Costco near Main Avenue to $2.69 at the BP near Main Avenue. Sandwiched between the River Drive Delta and Gulf stations boasting $2.15 on their illuminated signs was a Sunoco charging $2.99.

Henry Sobczak of Hawthorne said he could not understand the reason for the disparity. He said he saw the $2.15 sign at the Delta and was compelled to pull over his Chevy Silverado for $20 of regular. He nevertheless wondered if the price was too good to be true.

“It’s like the good old days, but it does make me wonder if this is real gas,” he said.

Dhanesh Nana, the lone attendant Sunday at the Gulf station on River Drive, said the low price per gallon is influenced by the market and the holiday season.

“My boss is a wholesale supplier,” Nana said. “He said every store has a holiday sale, so we will, too. It’s less profit, but more customers.”

Gas stations at Route 46 and Littleton Road in Parsippany compete with each other on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018.(Photo11: David M. Zimmer/NorthJersey.com)

As Nana pulled pumps, Hawthorne’s Bill Chambers waited for an opening in a rented box truck. The lower prices were a welcome relief, as the vehicle gets only 8 miles per gallon and costs him about $25 a day to fuel.

Chambers said the lower prices in Elmwood Park, compared with Hawthorne's, differing by about 15 cents, come as welcome relief. However, Chambers said he should be paying far less. The gas tax now stands at more than 41 cents. In 2016, the tax was 14.5 cents.

“These two new taxes are [expletive],” he said. “One’s a road tax, but I don’t see them fixing any roads.”

The road ahead for gas prices

Other motorists on Sunday said the low gas prices did not faze them much. Denise Pellicier of Elmwood Park said she buys gas closer to home than to her office in Hoboken out of convenience.

Bill Chambers waits in a rental truck for an opening at the pump at a Gulf Station on River Drive in Elmwood Park on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018. The station's cash-only price of $2.15 a gallon was the second lowest in the state that day, according to GasBuddy.com.(Photo11: David M. Zimmer/NorthJersey.com)

Apart from the stations in Elmwood Park, many along the major highways in North Jersey on Sunday had prices more in line with the national average of $2.378, AAA said.

Statewide, the average was about 17 cents lower than Pennsylvania’s and 26 cents lower than in New York and Connecticut.

AAA researchers had initially predicted a national average low of $2.40 for December. Missouri helped pull down the average with a U.S. low of $1.969. California and Hawaii were above $3.40.

There could be a bounce-back looming, however.

With inventories now falling to lower levels than in December 2017, AAA warned in a statement this past week that motorists could see prices increase during the first quarter of 2019. OPEC officials announced a January shift to lower production in lock-step with Russia and other oil exporters.

Darrell Mims of Newton said he is saving about $20 a month filling up his two cars compared with just two months ago. A hike in price is not something he wants to see, he said.

“It’s a concern,” Mims said. “I’ve been saving that money to put toward the next tank.”

A QuickChek off Route 15 in Jefferson, N.J. featured lower than national average prices on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2018.(Photo11: David M. Zimmer/NorthJersey.com)